Some military veterans to get a tuition break at Indiana colleges

Tuition at state colleges and universities will soon be more affordable for military veterans, thanks to new legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Senate Enrolled Act 177 grants in-state tuition rates to honorably discharged veterans and active National Guard members from any state.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, the bill’s author, said that returning veterans “fell into a trap” when trying to go back to school. Often a veteran — originally from Indiana — would be stationed in another state and establish residency there. Upon being discharged, he or she would then return to Indiana, only to be faced with the much higher out-of-state tuition rates.

The G.I. Bill — which pays for undergraduate education for veterans — only covers in-state tuition rates. The veterans are then left to find a way to make up the difference.